Lego-lised Johor

 MY Legoland journey actually began with a walk around the old part of Johor where distinctive red buildings, and unique windows of old buildings stood out.

There was this breathtaking Red House which literally painted its location at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee red. This scarlet building -- with white and elaborated linings and unique windows – was actually one of the old structures turned into a heritage house for cultural purposes. The window design reflected Chinese culture and history.

There was also a Chinese museum, known as Tiong Hua museum, showcasing the early Chinese settlement here -- with history, cultures, traditions and occupation of the various Chinese communities that had made Johor their home.

Further down the street was Mui Hwa Restaurant, in existence since 1946, making it one of the oldest kopitiams around the state. This two-storey corner building served Hainanese cuisines, including the famous Hainanese chicken chops.

It exuded an ancient charm with its tiled flooring and staircase banisters leading to the first floor where the windows served as gateways to the past and the soul of the place. I took a peek and was ushered into the heart of the place.

Venturing on, I came across shops, owned by the Malays, Indians and Chinese alongside of each other -- or even on the groundfloor and the first floor.

The same distinctive windows of the shops amazed me just as I was by an eating place call Gluttons Corners with signs, indicating it served delicious bakuteh and wonton mee. A gathering for gluttons? I would be coming along if one were organised!

It was windows, windows and more windows -- some wide open, some with laced curtains but all having one thing in common -- signs and symbols of the presiding deites affixed on them.

I had little time to explore more but the impression these places left on me is enough to remember Johor for a long time.

Lasting impression

Next was a trip down to Legoland, further reinforcing my desire to make it a memorable experience.

I was in awe of the Miniland, showcasing 17 Asian countries with their famous landmarks.

What I had not explored in old Johor town came alive right before my eyes in the Miniland. Here, the famous landmarks of Johor Bahru, the capital city of the host state, were depicted down to the minutest detail.

The classical and stately High Court buildings, constructed by the British colonials, stood tall among the other landmarks such as Dataran Bandaraya, Masjid Negeri Sultan Abu Bakar, Johor Tourism Information Centre, Bangunan Lembaga Tabung Haji, Sultan Ibrahim Building, Stesen Johor Bahru, Bangunan Datuk Jaafar and more buildings of the old town.

A Catholic church was also impressively recreated with Lego blocks, blending comfortably into the tidy conglomeration of the surrounding buildings.

Amazingly, the unique windows of these buildings were all Lego-bricked together in great detail and they connected my mind beautifully with the unique windows I saw at the old town!

At Legoland, more than 30 million Lego bricks were used to meticulously create miniature landmarks from 17 cities in the region, including India’s Taj Mahal; Myanmar’s gigantic barge on the shore of Yangon; the Great Wall of China; Singapore’s Merlion; Malaysia’s iconic Petronas Twin Towers in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. With the touch of a button, these models were brought to life.

Proud achievement

It really did Malaysia proud to have hosted this largest ever Lego Park. More than 100 people the world over were involved in the photography, design, production and actual construction.

A lot of the models were built by our own builders working at Legoland Model Shop in Nusa Cemerlang, Johor Bahru, which is another source of national pride, while others were built in the US, Denmark, England, Czeh Republic and Germany.

At the opening ceremony last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, acknowledging “the special place Lego bricks hold in our hearts,” said the building blocks are just like how we build ourselves.

How do these building blocks lego-lise our nation and people?  

I am trying to fathom the Prime Minister’s thoughts on this. What he implied (I think) in his remarks at the opening ceremony was that if Lego building blocks could be used to create miniature cities, parks and iconic landmarks of the world, then their quality in this regard should also inspire people to build a better future for themselves and their country – hence, the building blocks are just like how we build ourselves.

The first version of the Lego bricks was invented in 1949 but with limited value though the invention was considered great.

Four years later, the first Lego mat, referred to as the base for building, was invented, serving as the foundation for the Lego bricks.

By 1955, Lego launched the Lego system of play, and armed with the mat, Lego bricks could build just about anything you can imagine. It’s the foundation and with it follows connectivity.

If you or your children grew up building Lego blocks, you’d certainly know the blocks’ ability to connect varies. Some bricks can connect to many while others may connect to only one.

By understanding the nature of each Lego block, we are able to interact and connect well. The magic is to effectively uncover the relationships and connections between people and their worlds. The bricks make it easy to see, and more importantly, understand perceptions and realities.

Lego-lised Johor is the window to bring Malaysia to the eyes of the world -- a window where the world is connected to us.

IMPRESSIVE: The centre-piece of Legoland is the Miniland with recreated famous Asian landmarks.